Glow Tonic is oil-free, alcohol-free and suitable for normal to dry, dull and ageing skin.

HOW TO USE

Saturate a cotton pad with the tonic and sweep across face, neck and décolletage, avoiding the delicate eye area.

Can be used AM and PM after cleansing.

FIRST THOUGHTS

This Lucozade coloured liquid is £18.00 for 250ml which is a fairly hefty price tag, but the product doesn’t flow freely out of the little opening (you have to gently shake it out) so there should be minimal wastage.

It is gentle, standing at only 5% Glycolic acid, but personally, I would limit use to 3 times a week and never in tandem with other exfoliating skin care treatments.

Reviews on the Pixi website hail this toner as a life saver for evening out skin tone and brightening the complexion. However, I do think Glow Tonic, gentle as it is, would aggrevate problem skin.

For sensitive or acne prone skin, a soap free liquid cleanser and soft muslin cloth would be the gentlest way to exfoliate. Always remember to moisturise afterwards.

Again, it’s a personal thing, but I find the scent cloying and old-fashioned. To me it smells very much like butter LONDON’s Powder Room Nail Polish Remover.

Instead of saturating – ever cautious, I barely dampened a large cotton wool pad and wiped it over my face after cleansing. There was a slight tingle, but no pinkness and my skin felt soft afterwards without any tightness.

I had a problem when I used another (barely moistened), pad over my neck and chest area. The burning sensation was immediate and to my horror, I could see an angry redness on the very areas where I had my allergic rash a couple of years ago.

I went into full-scale panic mode; spent 10 minutes washing it off with cold water; dabbed at my neck and chest with wet cotton wool pads; took a Piriton and sat in front of a fan for 30 minutes to cool down. In the morning, there was the barest trace of redness and now, two days later, my skin is thankfully clear again.

I can’t lay blame with Glow Tonic because it was my fault entirely for not patch testing on my neck – I only tested it behind my ear. I should’ve realised that the skin on my neck and chest will always be super sensitive.

There are a lot of Glow Tonic fans out there and a thorough search on the net will pull up genuine, positive reviews. For my face, it’s perfect and I’m looking forward to seeing if it really will even out my complexion, I have high hopes for Pixi Glow. For those with ultra sensitive skin though, I would probably steer clear.

TOP TIP

Apply the tiniest amount of Glow Tonic onto a small cotton wool pad and gently wipe around the ear, all the creases I mean, not the ear hole part. I always feel these areas are neglected and washing your hair or showering doesn’t clean all the nooks and crannies properly.

If you have frail capillaries, Ole Henriksen suggests applying a face oil prior to using your scrub to act as an extra layer of protection for your skin.

6th February 2016

UPDATE 18th August 2016

6 months later and I’ve just purchased my second bottle. That doesn’t mean it lasted 7 months, I only used it 2-3 times a week and I finished it 5 weeks ago, so I would say a bottle will probably last 3-4 months.

I didn’t really appreciate the product until I stopped using it. I felt I needed a gentle way to exfoliate my skin and I really missed it!

I still won’t apply it to my neck area – just in case, but what is different is that the smell isn’t as cloying as before. I’m not sure if Pixi have changed the formula or I’ve got a ‘lighter’ batch, but that awful scent is barely noticeable.

I want to take it away with me on holiday because I think it’s a holiday essential, but the bottle is huge and the travel size of 100ml costs £10.00. I didn’t always take particular notice of labelling (which I think is now required by law) showing how much products cost per 100ml, but I (finally) get it now.

The 250ml bottle costs £7.20 per 100ml, so for the convenience of a smaller ‘travel sized’ bottle you are paying an extra £2.80 – Crazy! I’ve just decanted some into a travel bottle from a set I bought in Boots.

SENSITIVE SKIN

Take note of what Mandy said below if your skin is particularly sensitive.

The Pixi rep told us to dampen the cotton pad with water first and then apply the glow tonic.

Pixi Glow Tonic is a hugely popular exfoliating toner and finally, I get it!

3 Comments

I have just tried this out and i think it works really well with the cleansing balm oil by Pixi, too. It isn’t as amazing as Emma Hardy’s Cleansing Balm but it’s still nice and quite a bit cheaper. When i applied the balm first and then the glow tonic. It left my skin soft and like it had been deep cleansed. The Pixi rep told us to dampen the cotton pad with water first and then apply the glow tonic if your skin is sensitive. I could probably use this twice weekly. Exfoliating products tend to strip my nose a bit. Great review.

I’ve just smelt it now. Not good and cloying is the perfect word. Almost quite like medicine in a weird way. I didn’t notice it too much when i applied it though. A little maybe. I have a mini sample size.